The 2026 FIFA World Cup in North and Central America is a contest between national teams, but a look at the squad compositions reveals the influence of the big European clubs even more clearly.

According to the final squad lists for the North and Central America World Cup announced by FIFA on the 3rd (Korean time), 48 countries are sending 1248 players (26 per team). They belong to 449 clubs across 71 countries.

The club supplying the most World Cup players is Manchester City of the English Premier League (EPL). Manchester City send 19 players, led by Norway forward Erling Haaland. Man City players are included in the national teams of 12 countries, including England, France, Belgium, Croatia, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, and Norway.

They are followed by Bayern Munich of the German Bundesliga. Munich are sending 18 players, making them the club with the second-most World Cup participants after Man City.

Tied for third are EPL club Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) of Ligue 1 in France. Both clubs are sending 16 internationals. Arsenal feature key national-team pillars such as Declan Rice and William Saliba, while PSG likewise contribute a host of world-class players including Ousmane Dembele, Vitinha, and Achraf Hakimi.

Also following are Barcelona (15), Al-Hilal·Atletico Madrid·Crystal Palace·Manchester United (12 each), and Borussia Dortmund·Galatasaray·Liverpool (11 each).

By country, players from the English leagues number 200, a commanding first place. Germany (109), France·Spain (86 each), and Italy (71) follow, reaffirming the strength of the top five European leagues.

By contrast, Qatar and Saudi Arabia have 25 of their 26 players from domestic leagues. For Qatar it is only Homam Ahmed (Cultural Leonesa), and for Saudi Arabia only Saud Abdulhamid (Lens), who play abroad.

Also drawing attention, Cabo Verde and Curacao, which reached the World Cup finals for the first time, as well as the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cote dIvoire, Senegal, and Uruguay, have squads made up entirely of players from overseas leagues. This World Cup is a contest between national teams and at the same time a stage that will showcase the development pipelines and influence of the big European clubs.

[2026 North and Central America World Cup by the Numbers}

■0 players : The number of domestic-league players on the Cabo Verde, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cote dIvoire, Curacao, Senegal, and Uruguay squads. Every player on these teams is active abroad.

■4 countries : The number of nations reaching the World Cup finals for the first time. Cabo Verde, Curacao, Jordan, and Uzbekistan will make their World Cup debuts.

■6th : The number of players appearing at their sixth World Cup. Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Guillermo Ochoa are chasing an unprecedented milestone.

■7 players : The number of players aged 40 or older as of the opening of the tournament. The final challenge of seasoned veterans is also in the spotlight.

■17 years and 240 days : The age of the youngest player, Gilberto Mora of Mexico.

■22 players : The number of players under 20. A wave of next-generation stars is emerging.

■22 players : The number of players who have previously won the World Cup. Past champions will chase the title again.

■25 players : The number of domestic-league players on the Qatar and Saudi Arabia squads. Both teams have 25 of 26 players based at home.

■25 years : The age gap between the oldest player, Craig Gordon, and the youngest, Gilberto Mora. This World Cup spans an age range of more than a generation.

■43 years and 162 days : The age of Scotland goalkeeper Craig Gordon, the oldest player at the tournament.

■48 countries : The number of participating nations. For the first time, the field has expanded from 32 to 48. A record number of countries will play at the World Cup finals.

■71 countries : The number of countries where the clubs employing World Cup players are located. Leagues in 71 countries worldwide have supplied players to this World Cup.

■104 matches : The total number of games at the tournament. That is 40 more than the previous 64.

■357 players : The number with prior World Cup finals roster experience. Veterans will take the stage again.

■449 clubs : The number of clubs employing the participants. Players come from 449 clubs, underscoring the scale of the global football industry.

■891 players : The number set for their World Cup debuts. Over 70% of all participants will be experiencing the World Cup for the first time.

■1248 players : The number named in the final squads. With 26 players per team, 1248 will take part in the World Cup.